Health leaders welcome increased vaccine eligibility

On Nov. 2, the CDC voted in favor of using the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11, just a few days after the FDA authorized the use of the vaccine for that age group. This is welcome news for many local health leaders, who see this as the next big step toward reaching herd immunity levels in the county.

The Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) announced last week that it is “working closely with local pediatric offices and school districts to hold large vaccination clinics throughout the month of November at The Shops at Ithaca Mall vaccination site.”

Even though it’s only been a week since the vaccine’s approval, the community’s support was quick and immensely positive, said Public Health Director Frank Kruppa. Residents’ eagerness for the vaccine was displayed within the first 10 minutes of appointments being made available for the Nov. 5 and 6 clinics, where all 1,200 slots filled almost immediately.

TCHD encourages families who were unable to get an appointment for last weekend to continue to watch for clinics throughout the month, as TCHD plans to hold clinics every weekend of November so long as there is consistent demand and supply. Families can also reach out to their local pharmacy or medical office to get vaccinated.

Initially, TCHD was hoping to vaccinate 800 kids per day, but the department only received 1,200 doses, so that goal was decreased to 600 per day. Still, that rate will make a big difference, Kruppa said.

“There’s logistics to getting the supply distributed across the state,” Kruppa said. “We’re doing 600 each day, and that’s going to make a big dent for us. We have about 5,700 5- to 11-year-olds, so we’re hoping that before Thanksgiving, anyone that wants a vaccine in that age group and can get here to the mall will have the opportunity to have an appointment.”

Unlike past vaccination rounds where Cayuga Medical Center ran and staffed the clinics, this time around, TCHD has brought on a variety of local pediatricians to help run the clinics.

“We’ve been really fortunate that our local pediatric practices — Buttermilk Falls, Northeast Peds and WellBeing Pediatrics — have all sent staff, both vaccinating managers and admin folks, to help,” Kruppa said. “And it’s really about the community coming together, bringing the resources to bear so we can get the vaccine to as many people as possible as quickly as we can.”

Kruppa said that clinic staff are attentive to the concerns specific to the 5-to-11 age group and are working to ensure all children are comfortable while getting vaccinated.

“When you’re dealing with 5- to 11-year-olds, there’s always the challenge of fear in those groups of just needles in general,” he said. “The great news is we’ve got seasoned nurses and doctors here that work with kids all the time. And we’ve got some giveaways for them and some things to keep them occupied while they’re here. So, I’m hopeful that the kids will have a great experience.”

Just as many parents were eager for this vaccine approval, school districts across the county are excited for the effect this could have on their students.

“It’s always a good thing if I can call a family and I find out that their child has been vaccinated, so they don’t have to be quarantined if they’ve been exposed to a positive case, and that keeps them in school,” said Margo Martin, superintendent of Groton Central School District. “So, for the school, it’s exciting because it will mean more kids can be staying in class and not having to be sent home if there’s a close contact.”

Eric Hartz, superintendent of Newfield Central School District, expressed a similar sentiment, adding that he’s heard positive reactions from most of the district’s families.

“There’s always been a concern around the mask wearing, and I think there’s a hope that we get the vaccination going here, and that, maybe another six to eight months, we can be at a place where we don’t need the masks anymore because that’s not a big concern,” he said. “I think when you can get [a] majority of your population vaccinated or have that opportunity, that’ll help that. So, I’ve heard a lot of positive things — I really have — from a lot of people that have kids that are in that age range from 5 to 11.”

Hartz and Martin said that they’ve already seen a big difference in their districts since teenagers became eligible, so they’re hopeful they’ll see a similar effect with their younger students.

“The number of cases we have at the Jr./Sr. High is significantly lower than what we’re seeing at the elementary level, where the students just aren’t old enough to be vaccinated,” Martin said. “So, we’re seeing quite a difference in case numbers. And when we do have a positive case of the Jr./Sr. High, what we’re seeing here is we don’t have to quarantine very many students at all because many of them have been vaccinated. So, that has been nice because it’s been we’ve been able to keep the older kids in the building.”

Kruppa added that opening up vaccine eligibility will also help the overall community better recover from the pandemic.

“It’s another big chunk of our county residents that are going to be able to be vaccinated,” he said. “Our disease rates, thankfully, are starting to come down. And some of that’s due to the disease cycle, some of it due to the steps that we’ve taken. And hopefully, we don’t see spikes like we have in the past. But more importantly, we’re keeping people out of the hospital. … Having this additional population being vaccinated really just helps us continue our journey towards getting back to normal.”

The last remaining age group still ineligible for the COVID-19 vaccine is 6-month- to 4-year-olds, and Kruppa said there’s already been progress there.

“There’s studies underway now, particularly with Pfizer, for the 6-months-and-older group,” he said. “When we do get to that group, though, we’re likely going to be sending people to their pediatricians and their family care providers for those doses because when you’re talking about a child that young, it’s really important to have a calm setting, an exam room to be able to work closely with the child and their caregivers to do it most effectively. So, it’s a smaller group, and so, it’ll likely be done in those doctor’s offices when it is approved.”

If demand for the 5- to 11-year-old age group persists past this first month of clinics, Kruppa said TCHD will work with school districts and pediatric offices to fill in the gaps until everyone who wants a vaccine gets one.

“I would encourage parents to get their kids vaccinated,” Kruppa said. “If they have questions, they should reach out to their health care providers, their pediatricians or family practice offices and have a conversation with those trusted health sources about whether or not to have their children vaccinated.”

For others who are fully vaccinated, TCHD continues to recommend booster shots to all those eligible per CDC guidelines. Visit cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html for the full list to decide if a booster is best for you.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine and TCHD’s work, visit the department’s website at tompkinscountyny.gov/health.